Grading
Listing photos are everything. Sellers often label generously — your job is to grade from the photos before bidding. Here's the standard scale used across TCGPlayer, eBay, and the broader hobby.
Near Mint
100% of bookSharp corners, no surface scratches, no whitening on edges, no creases or bends. The card looks like it just left the pack. Pull the card up to a light: foils should mirror evenly; commons should have clean black borders with no white halos.
Look for: razor-straight edges; no print lines or roller marks; even centering (front-back).
Lightly Played
≈ 70–85% of NM bookPlayed but cared for. Very minor edge wear (slight whitening on 1–2 corners), maybe one or two tiny surface scratches visible under angled light. Still completely tournament-legal in a sleeve.
Look for: faint corner whitening; minimal back wear; no creases.
Moderately Played
≈ 50–65% of NM bookClearly played. Multiple corners with white edge wear, visible surface scratches, possibly a soft bend that doesn't crease the cardstock. Still presentable but the wear is obvious in any direct light.
Look for: corner softening on all 4 corners; visible scratch lines; possible faint surface scuffing.
Heavily Played
≈ 25–40% of NM bookSignificant damage. Hard creases, heavy whitening on edges and corners, dings, indented surface scratches. The card is fully readable and identifiable but visually rough. Only worth buying when very rare or to complete a binder cheaply.
Look for: visible creases; whitened corner tips; consistent surface haze.
Damaged
≈ 10–20% of NM bookMajor damage — water marks, deep creases, tears, ink, severe edge fraying, or significant warping. Often only worth buying for premium foils or extreme rarities where any copy is hard to find.
Look for: water spots; bent cardstock that won't lay flat; missing chunks.
- Sharp, well-lit front photo at neutral angle (not aggressive top-down). Watch for finger smudges.
- Sharp back photo — back-corner wear is often where ungraded sellers hide damage.
- Edge-on or angled shot under direct light to reveal surface scratches and tilt-foil quality.
- Close-up of any visible defect the seller mentions.
Pro-grading (PSA / BGS / CGC)
Some HP TCG singles get sent to professional graders (PSA being the most common in this hobby). The card is sealed in a tamper-evident slab with a numeric grade 1–10. PSA 10 ("Gem Mint") carries a huge premium — often 3–10× raw NM for key cards. PSA 9 is roughly 1.5–2× raw NM. Be cautious of slabs from unknown grading companies; only PSA, BGS (Beckett), and CGC carry standard market weight.